Funding for Youth Development

Positive Experiences + Positive Relationships + Positive Environments = Positive Youth Development

Based on the literature, the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs, a collaboration of 19 federal departments and agencies that support youth, has created the following definition of positive youth development (PYD):

PYD is an intentional, prosocial approach that engages youth within their communities, schools, organizations, peer groups, and families in a manner that is productive and constructive; recognizes, utilizes, and enhances young people's strengths; and promotes positive outcomes for young people by providing opportunities, fostering positive relationships, and furnishing the support needed to build on their leadership strengths.

The Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs developed a research agenda focused on positive youth development. Through a collaborative consensus-building process, representatives from federal agencies identified three research domains (conceptual issues, data sources and indicators, and program implementation and effectiveness) and key research questions that could benefit from future research.

PYD has its origins in the field of prevention. In the past, prevention efforts typically focused on single problems before they surfaced in youth, such as teen pregnancy, substance abuse, and juvenile delinquency.

Over time, practitioners, policymakers, funders, and researchers determined that promoting positive asset building and considering young people as resources were critical strategies. As a result, the youth development field began examining the role of resiliency - the protective factors in a young person's environment - and how these factors could influence one's ability to overcome adversity. Those factors included, but were not limited to, family support and monitoring; caring adults; positive peer groups; strong sense of self, self-esteem, and future aspirations; and engagement in school and community activities.

Researchers and practitioners began to report that young people who possess a diverse set of protective factors can, in fact, experience more positive outcomes. These findings encouraged the development of interventions and programs that reduce risks and strengthen protective factors. The programs and interventions are strengthened when they involve and engage youth as equal partners, ultimately providing benefits for both for the program and the involved youth.

Source: youth.gov

Foundation and philanthropic support for youth development from around the Web.



Winnebago County Community Foundation to Host Grant Workshop in Thompson
Foundation: Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, Winnebago County Community Foundation

The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa is putting its money where its mouth is. The foundation, which is affiliated with the Winnebago County Community Foundation, is accepting grant...more

Cumberland Selected for Juvenile Justice Innovation Network

A North Carolina district court judge and three other county officials have been selected to participate in a national program designed to improve the lives of young people in the juvenile justice...more

ICJIA Announces $30-Million Grant Opportunity for the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) Program

Illinois is offering $30 million in grants to communities of color that have been hardest hit by the state's war on drugs, the Chicago Tribune reports. Gov. JB Pritzker announced the Restore,...more

Hca Florida Healthcare Announces Hca Healthcare Foundation'S ...

"Today's youth may often think of healthcare in terms of the traditional sense of simply working with patients," Henri Crockett, president of the Crockett Foundation, says in a press...more

Floyd County Community Foundation Distributes $153920 to Local Organizations
Foundation: Floyd County Community Foundation

"We are fortunate to have these local nonprofits in our region. The Floyd County Community Foundation is proud to uplift organizations that strive to create impact in our communities." So says...more

Governor Moore Announces Appointments to the Governor's Commission on Hispanic Affairs

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has appointed nine new members to the state's Commission on Hispanic Affairs, the Baltimore Sun reports. According to a press release, the commission is tasked with...more

Alexis Levi Las Vegas Director of the Sports Philanthropy Attends the Super Bowl 58 Kickoff ...

The Super Bowl is coming to Las Vegas in February, but the week leading up to it has been a rough one for one local charity. First, the city's chamber of commerce announced it would be closing...more

Preparing Students to Work for Nonprofit Employers

When you think of the fastest-growing segments of the US economy, cybersecurity or data science come to mind. But "to my astonishment, nonprofits are the fastest growing sector," writes David...more

Four Boise Organizations Receive Keybank Grants Totaling $50000

The Northwest Association for Blind Athletes, Women and Children's Alliance, First Tee Idaho, and Boise State University Foundation have each received a $50,000 grant from KeyBank to continue their...more

State grant supports CHLA programs for young adults

A $2 million state grant to Children's Hospital Los Angeles will help more than 8,500 young adults get the health care they need, the Los Angeles Times reports. The money will go to the...more



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